FAIR Reacts to Biden's First Step to Scrap Self-Sufficiency Requirements for Immigrants

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Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)

Oct 26, 2021, 15:56 ET

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) submitted a public comment in response to the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) intent to issue a new public charge rule for arriving immigrants.

Specifically, FAIR provided input on how to strengthen the current public charge rule to better align with Congressional intent and protect both taxpayers and vulnerable Americans who depend on the availability of public benefits.

"Public charge restrictions to immigration have been a part of U.S. immigration law for over a century and self-sufficiency has been a basic principle of United States immigration law since this country's earliest immigration statutes," said Dan Stein, president of FAIR in the comment. "It continues to be the immigration policy of the United States that aliens arriving to not depend on taxpayer-funded public benefits to meet their needs."

Stein also noted that FAIR generally supports the common sense, long overdue changes to the public charge rules created by the Trump administration's 2019 Public Charge Rule.

"FAIR recommends that the DHS strengthen – not weaken – this rule by including additional welfare programs used by immigrants, consider the receipt of public benefits by an alien's dependents, and place additional weight on factors, such as education and income levels, that are proven to be reliable indicators of an alien's likelihood of becoming a public charge," the comment reads. "These changes will not only strengthen the integrity of the immigration system and ensure immigrants are self-sufficient, but protect taxpayers and vulnerable Americans who depend on the availability of safety-net public benefits."

Contact: Matthew Tragesser, 202-328-7004 or [email protected]

ABOUT FAIR

Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With over 3 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.

SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)